Pictures from my garden.

Cucumbers

Arkansas Pink Traveler Tomatoes

Cayenne Peppers

Squash blossom with a bumblebee inside
(I think this fat little bee has singlehandedly pollinated my whole garden!)

Sweet Corn

On the Needles (WIP Wednesday)

I got a couple of inches done on Mr. H.'s sock this week, but it's (finished) mate has disappeared on me, so my task for today is to find the errant mate, and hopefully get some pictures of the garden up this afternoon. We're growing all sorts of goodies out there.

If you would like to share your works in progress, please leave your name and link in the Mr. Linky below. I would love to see what you're working on.

Summer Reading List: Miss H.

My eldest daughter, Miss H., is eleven. This is my suggested reading list for her for this summer. Lest ye think me too ambitious in my reading goals for her, let me assure you: this child devours more books than any one I've ever seen. I will probably have to add more to this list, believe it or not, and anything not read at the beginning of the school year can go to the top of her list for the fall.

Animal Farm, George Orwell
Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff
The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia, Esther Hautzig
Miracles on Maple Hill, Virginia Sorenson
Letters from Rifka, Karen Hesse
Snow Treasure, Marie McSwigan
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
Rob Roy, Sir Walter Scott
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Little Men, Louisa May Alcott
Jack and Jill - Alcott Louisa May, Louisa May Alcott
The Cricket on the Hearth, Charles Dickens
The Swiss Family Robinson,Johann Wyss
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
Penrod, Booth Tarkington
A Little Brother to the Bear, William J. Long

What are your children reading this summer?

Menu Plan Monday

It's been a while since I've participated in Menu Plan Monday with Organizing Junkie, but I'm trying to build new habits, one of which is to actually plan my menus and use up the food in my refrigerator and freezer.

Breakfasts: grits, toast, oatmeal, juice, milk

Lunches: pb &js, mac n' cheese, turkey sandwiches, fruit/chips, veggie plate, leftovers, hot dogs

Snacks: fruit, veggie plate, homemade ice cream, crackers and cheese

Monday:Grilled cheese, sliced tomatoes, fried squash and green tomatoes

Tuesday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad

Wednesday:Tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice

Thursday:Venison steaks, baked potatoes, garden tomatoes

Friday: Pork and broccoli stir fry, corn on the cob, salad

Saturday and Sunday: I don't plan much for the weekends, because we often never know what we're doing, who might call, etc. until the actual weekend. We usually eat a late breakfast and a light supper, so I keep pasta and things on hand for quick pantry meals.

For more great menu ideas, visit Organizing Junkie.

When It All Falls Apart

It happens to the best of us: the kids are fighting instead of reading, the baby won't stay out of anything long enough for you to teach a math lesson, the phone has been ringing all morning with crises that only you can handle, and you just want to run away.

Taking a mental health day once in a while for days like this is highly advisable, but what about when you never want to go back? When you consider sending them all to school just so you can have seven uninterrupted hours of peace in your home? When the thought of opening another book or grading another math lesson makes you want to pull the covers over your head and hide all day? At that point, you may be looking at serious burnout, and having a quick plan in place for it will benefit both you and your family, and it may keep you from flagging down the next big yellow bus you see.

The first thing we need to remember when facing burnout is whether or not we are actually doing more harm than good by keeping our children home. If you have the occasional bad day (or even bad week), but most of the time you get something done, if you aren't feeling genuine hostility towards your children, and you're not facing a situation ( illness, injury, etc.) that would make homeschooling an impossible strain, then the stress of trying to transition your children into a school environment may be greater than just pushing through this tough time.

We also need to remember that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. You will likely need to have your children up, fed, and dressed much earlier than you do now to catch the bus, if you have small children you will still spend all day cleaning up after them and keeping them out of the cabinets, only now you won't have the blessing of older siblings for them to play with or someone to entertain them while you cook or clean, and the bulk of the housekeeping chores will still be attended to by you, only you won't have any helpers to make the work go faster. Then you get the added bonus of still getting to do schoolwork with your kids, only they will be tired of school and more resistant to getting it done, and you'll be trying to get dinner on the table and everyone to soccer practice on time. Now, with all this in mind, let's look at our Burnout Battle Plan:

Step 1: Take a break.
That's right, take a break from schoolwork entirely. You can either schedule a week-long (or longer, if needed) break or take it day by day, but you need some time off to think. You can still require that your children do some free reading every day, and if you enjoy reading aloud, do that too. The point of the break is to re-think whatever is burning you out, not to stop learning altogether.

Step 2: Assess.
Now is the time to take stock of what's going on in your life, and what is frustrating you the most. Is your home disorganized and messy, your schedule too structured or not structured enough? Are you constantly fighting distractions, like friends and family wanting to come over or wanting you to do things all the time? You may have to take some time to de-clutter your home, re-vamp your schedule, or have a talk with friends and family about "school time" vs. "free time". You may want to make yourself unavailable to them during the normal school hours, so that you actually have time to plan, teach, and help your children.

Step 3: Do something fun or out of the ordinary.
While you're on your break, take some time to go do something fun, or drag out something that you've never used because it's too complicated/messy/takes too much time, and do it. Take your kids to the museum, zoo, or nature reserve. Pull out that chemistry set and make something explode (safely, of course.), declare a movie day and pile up in the living room with popcorn and treats. Get down on the floor and color with them, work a puzzle together, or play a board game. The point is to do something to break up the monotony, bring out your love of learning, and enjoy your children again.

Step 4: Pick a date to begin school lessons again, but with a new outlook and attitude.
Now you can begin teaching again with a fresh new perspective. Try to work some of that spontaneous fun stuff into your life at least once a week, or however often you need it to keep your routine from becoming stale. Routines are great, necessary even, but don't let your curriculum, schedule, or lack thereof control your attitude about having your children at home. Your getting to share the best years of their lives...help to make them wonderful.

In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms, by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

I picked up and read In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms because I saw a clip of Dr. Laura speaking about this book, and I thought it would be an interesting read. I've never read any of her other books, but after this one, I just might.

Although I sometimes have a hard time finding the Mary Poppins inside that says, "Oh, Yay! I get to be with my children all day!", I do respect Dr. Laura's point that being at home with your children is a valuable choice to make for your family, and that being there to see your child's first steps, words, get that first hug, etc. is a magical experience.

I do wish that there was a little more practical advice for those of us who sometimes feel run-down, burned-out, and generally tired of the mundane things in life: the never-ending laundry-cleaning-cooking cycle in which we sometimes feel stuck besides a blithe 'take time for yourself' in the final chapter. Overall, a good book that can be an encouragement to stick it out through the tough times of being a SAHM.

The Love Comes Softly Series, by Janette Oke

My grandmother dropped off the complete eight-book Love Comes Softly series last week, and I finished the eighth book about six days later. I had never read them at the height of their popularity, but I enjoyed the movies on an occasional rainy Saturday, so I figured the books would be a fun, light break before I dove into a set of memoirs and emotionally trying books. What I did not expect, however, is that there would be a message for me in each book, and how I would come to despise the Hallmark movie series in the process.

I think that Janette Oke did a good job with these books. The characters are memorable, they have real hurts and heartaches, they get bitter, and they overcome. They have a strong faith and values that take them far. They remind me that I need to pray more, read my Bible more, and be more thankful for the blessings I have received in my life, instead of dwelling on the misfortunes.

I do not feel that Hallmark has done these books justice in any way, and that they have muddled and convoluted the stories and characters to the point that they should not even be allowed to associate the names of the movies with the book series at this point. They have taken wonderful, traditional female characters and turned them into prairie feminists. They have also watered down the Christian message since the first two movies into a trite sideline instead of the main focus of each book.

All in all, I say read the books, and let the movies stay. I won't be watching another one after reading the whole series.

Summer Reading List: Mrs. H.

I will probably change/add to this list all summer long. I will try to review as many books as possible right after I read them, and I'm highlighting the ones I've already read in bold.

Alligator Bayou, Donna Jo Napoli Recommended by Sheri at Semicolon
Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor, Brad Gooch
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms, Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery Recommended by MFS at Mentalmultivitamin
Unwind, Neal Shusterman Recommended by MFS at Mentalmultivitamin
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie Andrews ( I adore Julie Andrews) Recommended by MFS at Mentalmultivitamin
My Life in France, Julia Child ( I adore her too!)
The School of Essential Ingredients, Erica Bauermeister Recommended by Sheri at Semicolon
Prairie Tale: A Memoir, Melissa Gilbert
Covered Wagon Women, Volume 1: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1840-1849
Love Comes Softly, Janette Oke (I'm actually on book 7, working my way through the whole series)

Brookshire's Deals (7/1-7/7)

I haven't posted about Brookshire's deals in several months, but this week they are having several great sales that when paired with coupons, could make for some great deals.

Huggies Little Swimmers, $6.99. Use the $2/1 coupon from the 4/19 or 5/17 SmartSource insert. I used a $1.50/1 coupon that Huggies sent me in the mail. You can sign up here to get them too. Final Price: $4.99 to $5.49

Fuze Healthy Infusions, 5 for $5. There were coupons on tearpads at CVS for B1G1Free a while back. If you have any of those, they would make the drinks either free or .50 each, depending on how your store takes coupons.

Glaceau Smart Water, 4 for $5. Use the $1 coupon from the 6/28 insert to make these .25 each, or if you have the .50 coupons from the Walgreens tearpads back in May, .75 each.

Capri Sun Drinks, 2 for $4. If you get Kraft Food & Family, there were $1.00 and .75 coupons in the March and May issues. There was also a $1.00 coupon in the 4/19 SmartSource. Final price: $1.00 to $1.25

Luzianne Tea Bags, 2 for $3. Use the .60 coupon from the 4/21 SmartSource to make these .90. I have also found coupons in the box lids of tea bags, so make sure you check before throwing these away or recycling them!

Powerade 32 oz., Buy 10 for $10, get 5 free. That's a pretty great deal in itself, making the 32 oz. Powerades .67 each, but if you have any tearpad coupons for .75 or B2G1, this deal could be even better.

Tropicana 100% Orange Juice, 2 for $6. Use the $1.00/2 coupon from the 5/3 RedPlum. Final Price: 2 for $5 or $2.50 each.

Kellogg's Cereals, 2 for $4. This sale is usually when I stock up on cereal, but I don't have any coupons right now. I do know that there were $1.00 coupons in the 6/7 RedPlum that would make these cereals $1.00 a box.

Bush's Grillin' and Baked Beans, 2 for $3. Go here to print out $1.00/2 coupons. Make sure you use your browser's back button and print off two coupons. Final price: $1.00 each.

Air Wick Air Freshener, 5 for $5. Buy four and use two of the B2G2 coupons from the 6/14 SmartSource. Final Price: Free or .50 each, if your store won't let you use two coupons this way.

Claussen Pickles, 2 for $5. Use the $1.00 coupon from the 5/10 SmartSource to make these $1.50 each.

Hunt's Ketchup, .99 each. Use the $1.00/2 coupon from the May issue of All You Magazine to make these .49 each, or the .20 coupon from the 6/21 SmartSource to make them .79 each.

Kraft BBQ Sauce, .88 each. Use the .50 or .75 coupons from the 6/14 SmartSource. Final Price: .13 to .35 each.

Kraft Cheese, 2 for $3.00. If you still have some of those great Kraft coupons left that came out two weeks ago, here's your chance to use them up. Also, you can try to go here to print out a $1.00/2 coupon for Kraft Natural Cheese. Final Price: .50 to $1.00 each.

Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs, B1G1 Free. The B1G1 deal made the regular and bun-length hot dogs 2/$2.99 and the all-beef hot dogs 2/$3.99. There was a blinkie machine at the meat case with $1.00/2 coupons, making the hot dogs either $1.00 or $1.50 per package. There were also $1.00/2 coupons in the 5/10 and 6/21 SmartSource, and $1.00/1 in the May issue of Kraft Food and Family.

Blue Bunny Bomb Pops, B1G1Free. The sale made the bomb pops 2/$2.99. If you received $1.00 coupon in your e-mail last week from Blue Bunny, you can get these for .50 each. You can go here and click on coupons to sign up for Blue Bunny coupons and e-mails.

Edward's Pies, 2 for $9. Use the $1.25/2 coupon from the 6/21 SmartSource to make these 2/$7.75, or $3.88 each.

Kotex Pads, $2.99 each. Use the $1.00 coupon from the 6/14 SmartSource to make these $1.99.

Neutrogena Sun Care Lotion $8.99. There were $2.00 store coupons in the sales flyers this week. If you also have a $2.00 manufacturer's coupon from the recent promotion, that would make the lotion $4.99.

Right Guard Antiperspirant, 2 for $5. Use the $1.00/2 coupon from the 5/17 SmartSource to make these $2.00 each.

Skintimate or Edge Shave Gel, 2 for $4. Use the .75 coupon from the 5/17 SmartSource to make these $1.25 each. There were also some printable coupons for $1.00/1 available last week, if you still have them.

Chinet Paper Plates, 2 for $5. There were several $1.00 coupons in the 6/28 SmartSource, making these $.150 each.

Reynold's Wrap Aluminum Foil, $3.79. Use the $1.00 or the .55 coupons from the 6/7 and 6/28 SmartSources to make these $2.79-$3.79.

Kraft Velveeta Dinner, 2 for $3. Go here to print a coupon for $1.50/2, making these .75 each. Use your browser's back button to print two.

Jerky Treats Beef Surprise, $2.99. Use the $1.00 coupon from the 5/17 SmartSource to make these $1.99.

Meow Mix Wholesome Goodness, 4 for $3. Use the $1.00/1 or the $1.00/6 coupons to make these free or .58 each.

Lay's Potato Chips, 50% off, around $2.00 each. Use $1.00/2 coupon from the July issue of All You Magazine to make these $1.50 each.

Nabisco Snack Crackers, $2.00. There were lots of great Nabisco coupons with the Kraft printable coupons that came out two weeks ago. If you still have them, you can get several boxes of Wheat Thins and Triscuits for $1.00 each.

If you have any other coupon needs, please check out the Coupons.com link in my sidebar.

On the Needles (WIP Wednesday)

I'm back to working on Mr. H.'s socks again, since I was supposed to finish them back in March. I'm hoping if I work really hard, I can have them finished in a week.


Since I've been so neglectful of my knitting lately, I've decided to try and dedicate at least a half hour each evening to working on something knitterly, and maybe I'll actually make some progress this summer. I know that once the cool weather and hunting season starts (meaning Mr. H. is gone every weekend) I'll be itching to knit all the time, but during the summer I seem to find so many other things to do with my time.

We're already to the halfway point in the year, and I'm terribly behind on my 12 pairs in 12 months challenge, but I hope to catch up over the next month or two. So far I have finished socks for January and February, with March a little more than halfway finished. My April socks almost met their demise last week, but I hope to be able to work on them again soon. My socks for May, June (which I will probably frog and use a different pattern), and July have all been chosen, and are in various states of unfinished-ness, or are awaiting casting on.

What have you been working on this week? Knitting or not, leave your name and url in the Mr. Linky below, and share your work in progress!